NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Gruene, a historic district of New Braunfels, is home to the oldest dance hall in Texas – and crowds from around the world flock to Gruene Hall.
Even though visitors are still lining up to see the mystique behind the famous Texas honkytonk, keeping the swinging doors open during the pandemic was still a challenge.
“It was very difficult,” said Mary Jane Nalley, co-owner and CEO of Gruene Hall.
After the first COVID shutdown, Nalley said they were struggling to find a way to open back up, but put all their efforts into finding a way to do it.
“Our heart was with these musicians who had no place to work,” said Nalley.
She said they lowered capacity at the dance hall from 800 people to less than 200.
“We could have people come and be safe, and then the artists could play and be safe,” said Nalley. “So, it was a labor of love in one sense, but it was also a labor of survival for all of us.”
But then COVID hit again, shutting them down for a second time.
“So, we had to go through the whole thing another time months later,” said Nalley. “We missed almost a whole summer, even after they opened us back up.”
Nalley said the dance hall took a financial hit due to the closures, but they persevered to keep the iconic Texas landmark open.
And, now in 2022, they are back in business with an all-star schedule of concerts hitting the stage in the next few months.
“We have John Wolfe and we have Ray Wylie Hubbard. We've got Lyle Lovett, James McMurtry,” said Nalley. “We carry a lot of different artists that really people love. A lot of different markets come here to see this music, so it's a really mix of people for each different show.”
To learn more about ticket information, visit Gruenehall.com.